If you’re looking for information on stairlift removal, this page will cover the basic removal of a stair lift. Keep in mind that not all stairlifts are equal. In particular, certain models will require an engineer to remove because of their electronics. But here we offer a step by step removal of a Stannah curved stairlift (260) model. Many other makes and models have a similar setup to this one, so it’s a great place to start if you have a basic stairlift and want to remove it yourself.
If you would rather a professional remove it for you, and you’re in the UK, call our team on 0800 046 3438. We remove many kinds of stairlifts but certain makes and models can be re-used as reconditioned stairlifts. So we are most interested in those models. They are:
- Stannah 600
- Stannah 260
- Thyssen Flow X
- Thyssen Flow 2a
With the above models, we pay up to £500. Depending on the stairlift type and the age of the stairlift, we can offer to pay you or there may be a charge for removal.
To remove a stairlift yourself, checkout this video:
Stairlift Removal – Before Removal Check The Batteries
Before removing a stairlift, watch the complete video above to get an idea of what is involved. Ideally, find a video which has your exact make and model on YouTube. To remove a stairlift, it must have power. If your stairlift is unplugged, it’s likely that its battery has run out of charge. If this has been left for any length of time, the battery may be flat.
Plug in the charger and switch on at the mains to charge. Batteries are trickle charged and once flat, may no longer hold much of a charge. If you cannot re-charge the batteries, you’ll need to replace them before the stairlift can be removed.
See our other videos on replacing stairlift batteries on our YouTube channel.
Stairlift Removal – Remove End Stopper
Most stairlifts will have an end stopper. This is a physical barrier to stop the stairlift driving over the end of the rail accidentally. This is the first thing to be removed. On the Stannah 260, the end stopper is attached to the charge point, which is connected to the charger. *Make sure you disconnect from the mains before you begin stairlift removal. The battery can drive the stairlift, so there is no need for it to be plugged in (so long as the battery has charge in it).
Stairlift Removal – Drive Stairlift Off The Rail
The next step once you have removed the end stopper is to drive the stairlift off the end of the rail and remove it. Not all stairlifts operate like the Stannah 260. For example, certain stairlifts, such as the Flow X stairlift, need to be instructed to drive in a specific “drive mode”. Otherwise they won’t move beyond a certain point, set by the program which has been installed electronically. If you have a more complex stairlift to remove, such as a Thyssen Flow stairlift, give us a call on 0800 046 3438.
The best way to take a stairlift off the end of the rail is with 2 people. One can drive the stairlift by pushing the remote control button, and holding it down. The other will need to lift the stairlift off the rail when it reaches the end.
Stairlift Removal – Remove The Joining Pins
The pins joining the rail together now need to be removed and for this you’ll need a hammer and a pin punch (5mm) to do this.
Some pins can be difficult to remove so having the right tools will make this much simpler!
There’s usually 2 pins per rail but sometimes 4, depending on your stairlift.
Stairlift Removal – Draw Bolts & Screws
Behind the stairlift rail, between each section, you’ll find a number of draw bolts which help pull the rail together. To remove these bolts you’ll need a 5mm Allen key/hex key. Ideally use a ratchet Allen key if you have one as it will save you some elbow grease!
Once that’s done you can move on to unscrewing the legs from the floor. On this particular stairlift, there were 3 screws to each leg of the rail. An electric screwdriver with an extension bar is a good idea. Some of the screws are tricky to get to without one.
Pull Apart the Rail Sections
Once all the screws have been removed from the rail legs, you can start to pull apart the rail sections. They can be very tightly stuck together so a rubber hammer is useful here to break the sections apart. (A metal hammer might damage the rail if you are going to be selling your stairlift).
Remove Electrical Wires
You will find your rail is connected to the charger (which you unplugged earlier). Make sure wiring is disconnected from the mains electric before removing.
Recap
So that’s a little bit about stairlift removal. In this scenario we used the Stannah 260 (curved) stairlift. All stairlifts are slightly different though so refer to your specific make and model’s specifications for more information.
Here’s a quick recap of the stairlift removal process:
- Make sure the battery is charged and unplug from the mains
- Remove the physical end stopper and other electrical triggers/obstructions
- Drive the stairlift off the rail (use two people here, one to drive and the other to lift)
- Remove rail pins
- Remove draw bolts – holding sections together
- Unscrew legs from floor
- Pull apart each rail section
- Disconnect any wiring before removing rail and stairlift.
Find more of our videos on our YouTube channel here.